Saving Grace
by kwater
Summary: We're going Dean, gather up I'm hitting the road in twenty minutes with or without you.  With these words, Sam quickly began gathering his gear. The boys learn that evil comes in many forms.  This is a Wee!Chester.
1. Chapter 1

_Somewhere,USA_

_Present Day_

_Dean entered yet another dingy room in yet another forgettable town with a sigh of relief. Under his right arm he carried a six pack; in his left hand he balanced a Pizza. As he entered the room he had no thought in his mind except relief that another job was finished and they'd be moving on to another nameless town in the morning._

_As he moved into the room he noted Sammy hunched over his computer, Dean snorted to himself. Job's not been over for an hour and Sam was already looking for the next. Dean carefully set the pizza on the table, as he lifted the lid and removed a slice his mouth practically watered at the smell._

_Dean began eating the pizza as quickly as possible, Settling on the bed with the slice in one hand and a beer in another he noticed that Sam had yet to say anything. "MMMM... God, I'm telling you Sam you better grab a slice before I finish it all." Dean watched as Sam simply nodded, still staring at the screen before him._

_Sam couldn't believe what he was looking at, no matter how many times he read the words his mind just wouldn't accept them. He had heard his brother enter the room, and had smelled the pizza he carried. Twenty minutes ago, Sam would have been right there with his brother, eating the pie and fighting over the last slice. Now though, since he had seen it he knew that he wouldn't be able to swallow past the lump in his throat._

_Sam wasn't sure what this would do to Dean, the years since they had never talked about her, and about what had happened in that small town. Sam knew that he had often contemplated what had become of her. And now here in front of him was the truth._

_Dean actually became worried as Sam continued to stare at the computer in front of him. He moved towards his brother and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Sammy?" he asked his voice a question. It was then that Dean saw the photo on the screen in front of Sam_

_Smiling eyes staring up at him, eyes that were every bit as familiar as the ones that stared out of the mirror each morning. Dean felt his knees give and he sank to the bed behind him, he quickly scanned the article and then read it slowly once more. _

_"We're going Dean, gather up I'm hitting the road in twenty minutes with or without you." With these words, Sam quickly began gathering his gear. Dean simply sat on the bed eyes roaming the features of the woman pictured in the article._

_Sam looked across the front seat of the Impala and breathed a sigh of relief. Not only had Dean gathered up and loaded the car he had slid into the driver's seat with a simple "I'm planning on getting there by tomorrow Grandma, so you might as well get some sleep." Sam smiled; he had been serious when he had said that he would leave Dean behind this time._

_The thought of actually doing it though, that made Sam feel slightly queasy. Lately the thought of going anywhere without Dean made him feel slightly queasy. Sam settled back against the black leather and allowed his mind to wander back to that long ago summer._

Rapid Falls, New York

9 Years Earlier

Sam watched as his Dad sat at the small scarred table, mounds of paper and research spread out before him. Sam often sat just so, watching as his Dad took pieces of seemingly random information, and compiled it into a hunt. Sometimes his Dad even let him help; those quiet moments were some of the few that Sam really treasured. Sam knew that in this way he really could help his father.

Hunting had never held Sam's interest, not really. Not like it did for Dean, no for Sam the hunt happened on paper, first locating the evil, identifying it and then learning how to destroy it. That's what got Sam's mind really going, and he knew he was good at it. That maybe someday he might even surpass his Dad in this area. He already had Dean beat hands down at research, Dean's constant energy and vitality made it difficult for him to focus. Not that he couldn't when needed to it's just that it chafed to do it so he left it to his father and brother.

Dean, thought Sam to himself. Dean hadn't looked good lately; Sam was worried mostly because it wasn't due to an injury. He just seemed sad, as lame as that sounded even to Sam's own ears. Sam had been worried all summer as the Winchesters had moved from town to town.

About a month ago Sam had heard Dean ask his father if he could drop out of school. He argued that there was no reason to bother graduating. His father had considered for a moment. Sam had to actually hold himself back, to stop himself from pleading with his father to make Dean finish. Not to take the only thing from Dean's life that didn't require a blood sacrifice, the only thing that could be construed as somewhat normal.

Dad had finally answered his son, telling him that Mary would have wanted him to graduate, so graduate he would. Dean had silently accepted John's decree like always and hadn't brought it up since.

Sam straightened and moved towards, his Dad. Dean that's why he was doing this, he was doing it for Dean. Sam squared his shoulders, and stood before his Dad. He cleared his throat and waited until the elder Winchester looked up from the book in front of him.

John looked up from the battered volume he was reading and barely smothered a long suffering sigh. Sam stood before him, a mutinous expression on his face. John closed his eyes for a moment remembering the little boy that had thought he hung the moon. As he opened his eyes he saw instead a thirteen year old, with shaggy hair, slim and long limbed. Sammy had been growing like a weed all summer and wore a pinched look as if he was constantly hungry.

"What's up Sam, I've got a lot of work to get done here." John said sitting back in his chair and giving Sam his attention.

Sam cleared his throat and began "well sir, it's about Dean. You know this is his senior year, he's going to be eighteen in January."

John looked at Sam arms crossed and frowned "I already told him he can't quite, and I expected him to take it like a man. Not send his baby brother to bargain for him."

Sam frowned even harder at his father. He shook his head knowing that if he couldn't manage to keep his temper this time, he was going blow this. "Dad, you know that Dean would never ask me to interfere. It's just, I was hoping that this year we could stay in one town. Last year we were in three different schools and the year before it was four."

John frowned at Sam, "It wasn't three last year." John knew they moved a lot but three times. It was hard for him to remember, he remembered the past only in terms of what he had killed.

Sam tried to stop the words coming out of his mouth from sounding too bitter. "Yeah, dad we did. And well it being Dean's last year and all I just thought, maybe we could pick a place and stay. I was thinking if we picked somewhere middle of the country you could keep hunting and Dean could help out on weekends."

John rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. Mary would have never permitted her boys to be raised in this way; in his mind John knew that. In his heart though was the never ending rage against the evil that had taken away Mary's choice in the situation. He thought back of the last couple of years and tried to count the number of times, he had registered his kids at a new school.

Shit, John thought to himself. Over the last couple of years, Sam and Dean had registered themselves and John had only needed to take them in on the first day to sign paperwork. He looked longingly at the papers in front of him; he had been in one place too long he could feel the pressure to leave. But, was that fair to his boys especially Dean who followed every order and had been doing a man's work for years now.

"I'll tell you what Sam, you find the town. Get the school info, start day and all that and we'll see okay. I'm not promising we'll stay the whole year, but I'll try Sam, I'll try." John saw the look of relief pass over Sam's young features. He nodded and turned towards the work at hand.

_Present Day_

_Dean watched the road ahead, it seemed never ending. No matter what the day brought there was always a road reaching out ahead. He took a quick glance at Sam, and noticed that he had finally fallen asleep. Dean had been avoiding meeting Sam's eyes for the last hour. He knew that Sam had it in mind to talk, to rehash things better left in the past. _

_Dean hadn't wanted to oblige him. His thoughts were so scrambled right now, that he was worried he wouldn't be able to dodge Sam's persistent questions. Dean just wanted to drive, to focus on the driving beat, that came from the speakers. The feel of the engine, the sense of motion. Dean liked motion, he liked moving he had never been one to remain still for long._

_He suddenly remembered sitting in that old library, tapping out some aimless tune with a couple of pencils. She always managed to catch him making noise, and bam up the back of his head would go her hand. Before he could even retaliate, she would slip past him throwing a grin over her shoulder. _

_Dean closed his eyes for a second. Yeah, thoughts scrambled. He reached for the radio dial and turned it up another notch. Sorry, Sammy but better you awake then me left with my thoughts._


	2. Chapter 2

Dean pulled up behind a black pick up and looked over at his sleeping brother. They had been on the road for eight hours. He was truly surprised that Sam had fallen asleep. Dean shook his head still confused why this move was so important to Sammy. This morning as their Dad had failed to show up for yet another day, Sam had simply freaked out.

They were supposed to be here four days ago, but Dad had gone on a last minute hunting trip. Sam had taken it personally. It had taken Dean the better part of two hours to finally calm the thirteen year old. Dean had set Sam to finish packing, Sam had only calmed when Dean had told him that he would leave by noon with or without their father. Luckily their Dad had turned up around eleven o'clock.

John made a suggestion to Sam that they wait another day, before leaving. Sam had simply ignored his Dad and had climbed into the Impala, trusting that Dean would keep his word. Dean had suggested to his Dad that it was better to get there sooner than later, and he had climbed into the driver's seat. John hadn't been happy but he'd had little choice but to go along with the boys.

Dean saw his dad get out, and start towards the apartment complex that they were going to stay in. Dean leaned over Sammy, quietly not a breath of noise escaping him. Closer and closer until he was merely inches from Sammy's sleeping face. The he waited.

Sam came awoke slowly noticing the lack of motion and noise, as he opened his eyes. He screamed, Dean was only inches from him staring at him intently. "God, Dean stop doing that. You're killing me."

Dean let out a snicker and reached out ruffling Sam's hair "I just like to hear your voice crack Sam, makes me laugh every time. Let's go Samantha we're here. Where's here again?" Dean asked over his shoulder as he moved to get out of the black classic car he drove.

Sam pushed open the car door, wincing slightly at the loud squeal it made in the quiet night. "Lake Park, Iowa population 1,500 well 1,503 actually. We're about three and half or four hours from Pastor Jim. That was Dad's only condition, if we were going to stay somewhere we needed to be near Jim." Sam rushed on talking a mile a minute as he accepted a box from the back of his Dad's pickup. "The great thing is the high school runs from ninth to twelfth grade. We'll be in school together. That's cool right Dean." Sam asked his big brother, practically jumping up and down.

Dean simply nodded "Yup, that's cool Sammy, good choice." Dean once again felt puzzled why this mattered so much to Sam. Normally a move brought out the worst in Sam. As a toddler he would stop sleeping and refuse to be separated from Dean. As a young kid he would go quiet not talking to anyone, but Dean for Days. Teen Sam though, he simply pouted, there was no other way to describe it.

This time though Sam had been the one to suggest the move. A fresh start he had called it. As Dean walked into the one room apartment, he really wondered just why Sam had picked this place. To Dean it looked the same as every other place they had stayed in since Lawrence. The only difference being whether Sam and Dean had to share a bed or if there were two twins in the one bedroom.

Later that night Sam lay in bed listening to Dean's even breathing. There were more nights than Sam cared to think about that he would lay listening and pattern his own breathing to that of his brother. He did it tonight without even realizing, Sam lay and thought about the future.

Dean would graduate this year, and Sam knew that would mean that Dean would begin hunting on his own. So far, it had always been Dean and Dad, often Sam would accompany them. It made Sam's stomach hurt to think that Dean would go off on his own, without Dad to keep him safe.

About, three months ago Sam had started having dreams, nightmares really and in each one Dean lay dead in a pool of his own blood, the figure of some supernatural creature leaning over his still body. The dreams came almost every night and there were a dozen different versions. Dean dead by a werewolf, dead by a banshee, dead by a black dog, you name it and Sam had dreamt it. At this point the youngest Winchester simply had to close his eyes and he saw his big brother dead.

Sam could feel his breath hitch in his chest; he quickly forced himself once again into Dean's breathing pattern. Sam felt calmer already; he knew that it was near impossible to keep Dean from hunting. It was all the older boy had ever wanted from life, Sam was harboring a wish that if Dean could just experience being a normal kid, that he might see just how twisted their lives had become.

Sam already had plans to leave this life and all it entailed behind him. The only thing holding him back was the thought that if he walked away from hunting he was also walking away from Dean. Sam swiped a hand across his wet eyes, and closed them pressing his palms deep into his sockets, trying to push the images in his brain away. As Sam finally drifted to sleep he said a silent prayer asking God to watch over Dean and keep him safe.

_Dean drove towards the rising sun the light almost blinding him for a moment before he could grab his sunglasses and pull them on. As he drove he began looking for a place to grab some breakfast. He still found it hard to believe that he was doing this. That he was traveling hundreds of miles to return to her. What if San was wrong and she didn't need them there. What if she turned them away? _

_Dean pushed away the nagging thought that kept recurring to him, wishing he had Sammy's sense of confidence. As Dean slowed and made a left into Esther's parking lot he pulled into a space. Watching Sam sleep for a few minutes Dean grinned and leaned towards Sam, closer and closer quietly not a breath of noise escaping him. Closer and closer until he was merely inches from Sammy's sleeping face. The he waited. _

_Sam came awoke slowly noticing the lack of motion and noise, as he opened his eyes. He screamed, Dean was only inches from him staring at him intently. "God, Dean stop doing that. You're killing me."_

_Dean slapped his leg and let out a laugh, "Oh, Sammy that just never gets old does it. Come on Sleeping Beauty it breakfast time." Dean opened the door to the Impala and headed into the restaurant._

_Sam grinned and watched Dean's retreating back, it was nice to see Dean so lighthearted. It was a rare occurrence lately. Sam opened his door to follow his brother into the restaurant, he was already planning his payback._


	3. Chapter 3

Dean guided the Impala into the lot of the only grocery store in town, after parking he sat for a moment hands gripping the car's steering wheel. He looked out the window and noticed the rotting pumpkins and scarecrows that still lay scattered outside many of the storefronts. It had been a week since Halloween had ended and nearly two months since they had come to this town.

Dean had started school in his new town, expecting the same old shit. Not fitting in, boring classes and most of all having to bail Sam out of trouble. This year though things had actually gone pretty well. Sam had filled out some and was growing taller by day, this seemed to make people pause before, trying to mess with the youngest Winchester.

The other plus was that it had quickly become known that Sam and Dean were brothers, and the message was clear mess with Sam and you get Dean. There were very few at the school that were willing to take on Dean.

Yeah, over all things were okay. Sam was happy and god knows that made Dean and John happy. John was hunting, confident that Dean at seventeen was able to handle anything that might come up at home. And Sam was making friends and growing more confident every day.

Yep, all in all it had been a good move for the Winchesters. Until two days ago that was, that was the day that Dean and Sam had come home from school and found the message from their Dad saying he had found a hunt and would be gone a couple of days.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, this time though the wad of cash that usually accompanied such notes was missing. Dean had a small stash set aside for gas money and that was it. This was the second day in a row that Dean had spent eating nothing more than a bowl of Ramen Noodles, having left the rest of their meager supplies for Sam.

This morning Sam had complained after a small bowl of Cocoa-crispies, Dean knew he needed to find the money to buy more groceries. So he had left the apartment this evening with the intention of finding a pool hall or a game of cards somewhere. Unfortunately, in this one bar town, no one was playing for money.

So here he was in front of the store with exactly five dollars and twenty cents in his pocket, this was after ransacking the apartment and going over the floor of the Impala with a fine tooth comb. The worst part was that the Impala's gas gauge was edging ever closer to empty so Dean wasn't even able to buy five dollars of food. On things that were important to Dean, gas in the tank ranked above food in their bellies.

The Winchesters could go a while without food, but without fuel they were stranded and unable to get out if needed. So Dean mentally took his total down to two dollars. Two dollars to feed the frickin' bear he currently lived with. What would that do, a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, God Sam would have that gone tonight.

Dean sighed and got out of the car, stalling wouldn't increase the money in his pocket. As he entered the store he grabbed a basket and began going thru the aisles. He found himself hoping to find something more substantial than bread and peanut butter.

As he turned down the last aisle he noticed a young girl pushing a cart full of food in front of him. She looked to be about Dean's age, and seemed somewhat familiar. He took in her neat appearance and her long honey colored hair; her skin still held a summer tan and her eyes were a deep brown.

She turned as Dean was checking her out and smiled a little nervously at him. Dean felt a moment's contrition; this girl didn't deserve to be leered at everything about her screamed good girl. From her long black skirt to the grey sweater she wore, including her body language everything screamed stay away. Dean simply nodded and moved on, not looking to make her uncomfortable.

As Dean made his way to the check out with his jar of peanut butter and loaf of bread, he noticed the girl get into line behind him. As he paid and the check out girl took his money, two dollars and thirty-nine cents, Dean quickly fumed; the girl behind him spoke to him.

"Hi, you go to Lake Park High don't you? You're new right, I've seen you around." The young girl stood slightly to the side of Dean.

Dean turned to face her and smiled "Yeah, I thought you looked familiar."

The girl smiled again and said "How do you like it here so far?"

"It's been good I guess my kid brother's in heaven here. Apparently, he's been searching for geek central for years and it turns out they've all been hiding out in this year's freshman class." Dean said with a slight grin.

The girl smiled more broadly, all traces of fear gone from her eyes. "Yeah, I'm a junior myself and I've made it a point to avoid the freshman class this year." The girl nodded towards the clerk that was waiting to give Dean his change. "Well, it looks like you're all set."

Dean nodded and accepted the change from the cashier, as he picked up his grocery bag he found himself smiling again at the younger girl "I'll see you around." He gave her a small salute and headed out the door.

Dean got into the Impala, stashing the brown paper bag on the seat next to him, as he looked back towards the store he noticed the girl exiting the building. Dean waited for a moment as she loaded her groceries into an old Nissan Sentra, he waited a moment longer for her to start her car and leave the lot. It was only then that he started the Impala and headed back to the apartment.

As Dean entered the apartment, he called out to Sam and laying the bag on the table he headed for the bathroom intending to wash up. Minutes later as Dean left the bath he noted Sam standing over the grocery bag, that Dean had brought home.

Sam was pulling items out of the bag one by one, Dean could only stare in amazement. "Dean, you got cheese and salami, Man I haven't had a sandwich in ages." Sam said as he began gathering the necessary items to make one. Sam stuck another hand in the bag and pulled out a plastic bag of apples, he quickly untied the bag and added one to his plate. As Sam sat and began eating Dean couldn't help reaching into the bag to see what else was in it.

On top of the Cheese, salami, and apples, Dean removed a box of spaghetti and a small jar of sauce. At the very bottom, though was the oddest item of all, it was a bag of peanut M&Ms, Dean's favorite candy of all.

Dean stared in confusion at the food spread before him; he would have assumed it was some kind of mistake except those M&M's kept tripping him up. What were the chances that the girl behind him in line also, likes the small colored candies? It couldn't be charity, the girl didn't even know him, and there was no way she could know that he was down on his luck and hungry.

Dean finally shrugged, oh well it beats trying to steal the food, which had been his next idea. This way Sammy got to eat and child services didn't get to send Sam to a group home. Yep, thought Dean as he finished his sandwich. No reason to look a gift horse in the mouth.

_Sam sat at the diner's table and waited for Dean to return from the bathroom. As he did he noted a bottle of Jose's finest hot sauce at the table. An evil grin alit Sam's face when the waitress brought out their order. What the hell thought Sam; he can only kill me once._

_Dean returned the table and noticed that his food had already arrived. "Thank God, I'm starving." Dean said to Sam as he sat. Dean noticed that the waitress had made a mistake and given him a bacon burger instead of the plain one that he had ordered. Dean grinned, nothing like a little bacon to bring a burger to life. He would have said something to the waitress but hey, there was no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth._

_As Dean raised his burger to take a bite he noticed Sam's wide grin, Dean patted himself on the back for making Sam so happy. Dean was glad to see that Sam was looking forward to reaching their destination._

_As Dean took his first bite, the heat in the sandwich didn't even really register. It was only after he chewed for a moment that he realized his mouth, lips, and throat were on fire. He quickly swallowed, and grabbed for the soda that sat in front of him. His eyes were pouring tears and his nose was running, as he coughed and tried to drink away the pain, he noticed Sam doubled over with laughter. _

_Dean swore in that moment that vengeance would be sweet._


	4. Chapter 4

"Listen Dude, I'll be at work till nine o'clock. You will wait here until then, and no coming out to wait in the parking lot. I'll come in and get you. Remember Sam, keep aware of your surroundings, and keep your back to a corner." Dean sat in the idling car and issued the reminder from the driver's side window. Sam simply nodded and waved in response. As he headed into the public library he felt Dean's eyes on his back.

Sam rolled his eyes; Dean still treated him like he was a baby. Sam would have taken offense if he hadn't realized long ago, that the nagging hadn't started until Sam was about ten. It was at that time that Sam had told his big brother that he was too old for hugs. Dean had told Sam that he understood and ever since Dean had replaced the random and heartfelt hugs he used to give his brother with advice. Watch your back, carry a weapon, and be aware for unusual cold spots... On and on the litany went. Sam could repeat them by heart; he had heard them so often.

He grinned as he pulled open the door, yeah Dean worried about him. As Sam moved into the library he took a moment and studied his surroundings. The modern building was essentially one big room. The bookcases were the only things breaking up the space. They formed small nooks and hidden spaces in what would be and other wise carnivorous room.

As Sam entered he headed for the back corner, he had been coming to this library since September and he knew it well. As he settled in his favorite table he pulled out his homework and got started. As Sam concentrated on his Algebra, he realized that someone was staring at his back. He could feel their eyes boring through the long sleeve t-shirt he was wearing. He turned his head slowly, and saw her.

She stood behind him and slightly to the left; she was stacking books from an almost empty cart in front of her. She wore a white blouse and a navy skirt, Sam thought she was about the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Her long honey colored hair was swept up carelessly and her brown eyes stared at Sam, one slim brow lifted in question.

Sam nodded at her and grinned "Three minutes right?" Sam asked grinning even broader when the young girl nodded and moved to settle in the seat across from Sam.

Grace McGuire leaned forward, eyes sparkling "come on tell me how you do it." She prodded.

Sam simply shook his head and laughed, this was a conversation they had at least once a week. "I'm telling you I don't do anything, I just pay attention to what's going on around me. To be honest if I was really on the ball you wouldn't have even gotten that close without me noticing. Dean can tell if someone's approaching from a couple hundred yards off."

Grace shook her head admiringly, "Well then color me jealous, because I wouldn't hear an elephant sneak up on me."

Sam laughed and said "that's not true you've gotten much better, you picked me up pretty quick on Tuesday." Sam said referring to the night they had played a version of hide and seek in the empty library.

Grace put a finger to her lips and said "Shhh, I'd get fired if old Mrs. Hibbert heard you."

Sam laughed and said "fire you that would mean that she couldn't sit in her office and watch her shows all night. She would actually have to work, no Grace your jobs safe." Sam returned his attention to the work in front of him. As he finished up he asked casually "So do you have plans for Christmas. I bet it's a pretty bid deal at your house." Sam tried to hide the sadness in his voice.

Grace stood suddenly and turned from Sam; pulling the cart next to her she began stacking books. As she worked she answered Sam "Uh, yeah I guess. I volunteer at the senior center all day. You know spending time with the elderly that no longer have families. Then there's a free dinner at four o'clock, it's open to anyone. It's nice it really gives everyone something to look forward to. How about you, what do you guys do?"

Sam kept his gaze on the paper before him, his mind thinking of the last Christmas he had spent. His Dad had been unable to get home on time so it had just been him and Dean. Actually it had turned out pretty fun; they had rented scary movies and spent the whole night ripping apart the movie versions of the creatures the boys had hunted. All except the movie Poltergeist starring that little blond girl. Both Sam and Dean had agreed that one was dead on.

"You know, wake up early open presents, spend the day eating and bumming around." Sam answered.

Grace nodded and said "Sounds like fun. Sometimes I wish I had a brother or a sister." Sam watched as he face clouded slightly. "Well then again I'm better off alone." Grace saw the puzzled look on Sam's face and forced a smile "you know, not having to share, and all that. I'm going to get back to work Sam you've got twenty minutes until Dean arrives."

Sam watched the young girl walk away, he found himself wishing he knew what Grace meant when she said she was better off alone. Sam had really come to like her; she was pretty, and funny. She always treated him like he was he mattered.

Fifteen minutes later Sam gathered his books and went to wait by the Library's entrance. Grace was there cleaning up behind the huge check out counter, and pulling on her coat. They chatted for a few more minutes when Sam heard Dean's car pull up outside. Usually, Sam went outside as soon as the headlights shone in the big double doors.

This time though he waited, as he expected almost immediately the impatient outline of his brother started for the big double doors. Sam grinned he had wanted Dean and Grace to meet for weeks now but they had kept missing each other.

As Dean entered the library, his eyes searching for Sammy, he noticed her behind a large counter, the girl from the grocery store. A couple of weeks earlier Dean had set out and gotten a job at a garage. He had told his Dad that he could use the experience, but really he simply couldn't face watching his brother go hungry again. Dean was hoarding every cent he made, saving it for an emergency. Well, that and a Christmas present for Sam.

He smiled in surprise at the girl who was now standing in front of him. "Hey, there" he said a twinkle in his green eyes.

Grace grinned again and said "Hey, I'm surprised you even recognize me without my ever present grocery cart."

Dean gave her a lazy grin and said "I just can't believe you're the Grace that Sam's been gushing over for the last couple of months."

Grace glanced at Sam and saw his blush. "Yeah, well I'm just surprised that you're Sam's big brother. From listening to Sam I expected someone a lot taller." Grace and Sam exchanged a laugh and Dean simply shook his head.

Sam finally spoke up "So how do you two know each other?"

Dean was the first to answer. "We don't not really Sam, we run into each other sometimes at the grocery store." Dean and Grace shared a glance. Really if Dean were honest he'd have to say they had been meeting at the store. Dean had quickly found out that the pretty brown eyed girl shopped for a couple elderly neighbors once a week. Ever since, Dean had begun doing the shopping for the Winchesters, he had managed to make excuse after excuse to go on Wednesday night's when she was sure to be there.

They talked over and over again; content to keep their meetings at the grocery store. Dean was sure that he could have discovered her name and found her at school if he chose but he had liked not knowing who she was. It made him feel better to see her as just a random stranger, rather than something more. A random stranger was easy to forget, someone you cared for hurt you when you pulled out of town.

Dean was sure Grace had her own reasons for keeping their meetings private, he sometimes thought it was a matter of a boyfriend she was with. No matter, it was her business. But here she was and it turned out she was the 'Grace' that Sam had been talking about incessantly.

Grace finally broke eye contact with Dean and moved towards the door. "I'll see you boys around." She said as she left with a backward smile. Dean and Sam in unison moved towards the door. Standing by the Impala and watching as the tiny silver car pulled out into the dark night. It was only after she had left the lot that the boys had gotten into the car.

"She's nice isn't she Dean?" Sam asked as he leaned his head against the seat.

Dean reached out a hand and gently cuffed Sammy on the ear "That she is Sammy, but I think she's a little old for you."

Sammy blushed and shoved Dean, "Come on Man I'm serious."

"Yeah, I know Sam, you're right she is nice. To nice for the likes of us I'm afraid." Dean answered as he started the car.

_Dean drove down the highway, fuming. His mouth was still burning and he was hungry as hell. As he sneaked a glance over at Sammy's long frame he began plotting his revenge. Unknown to Sam Dean had an arsenal of pranks; he kept catalogued in his mind to be pulled out and used at any time. As the black car ate up the miles, Dean started mentally running down the list. Watch out Sam, thought Dean. Payback's a bitch._

Dean sat in the darkened room staring at the small tree; he had picked up a few days ago. The thing was pretty pathetic, a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree if he had ever seen one. It had made Sammy's day though, he had picked it out insisting on this one. Sam had decided the tree deserved to be made into a Christmas tree instead of pine chips. Dean as always gave in, his only interest in the tree to make Sam happy.

888

Today had dawned cold and bright. Dean had laid his carefully wrapped gifts beneath the tree and than had gone to wake Sammy. Dean had waited with anticipation, keeping his gift for Sammy last, when Dean finally gave it to him he was rewarded with a full on Sammy grin. "A walkman Dean, Dude that's awesome." Sam had launched himself at his brother, his hugging rule thrown out the window for the moment.

"No problem, kiddo I'm glad you like it." Dean couldn't help smiling as Sam's enthusiasm.

Dean watched as Sam proudly tore into the packaging, it was then that he noticed Sam's face fall. Dean asked "What's up Sam?" Sam shook his head at Dean and answered softly "I don't have batteries." Dean felt his stomach drop, batteries it had never occurred to Dean to get batteries, and shit the whole town was shut up for Christmas.

John sat watching his boys; he felt the sting of guilt at the look on Dean's face. John had known about the gift, but he hadn't realized just how much it had meant to Dean. In moments like this, he sometimes worried that he had pushed Dean too hard, forcing him to always consider his brother before himself. It was a sad state when Dean's happiness depended solely on whether he remembered batteries for Sam's Christmas gift. John stood quickly; he found that he needed to move. He headed into his bedroom intending to find something to hunt. He had done his duty and now he needed to be moving again.

Dean watched as his Dad disappeared into his bedroom. He grimaced knowing that his father had already left, even if he was still here. Dean knew that by the end of the Day John would have found something, somewhere to kill. He sighed and turned towards Sam. "Listen, let's get cleaned up and we'll walk down to the senior center. They're having that dinner tonight, and you can show Grace your walkman. Then tomorrow first thing we'll get some batteries."

Sam's good humor was completely restored, "thanks again Dean, it really is the coolest."

Dean nodded and reached out pounding Sam on the back "No problem Tiny Tim, that's what big brothers are for."

Hours later the boys had walked into town, they had just said goodbye to their father unable to get him to stay through dinner. As they had stood side by side watching the black pickup pull away they had subconsciously moved even closer, shoulders touching they had stood watching until the truck was no longer visible.

"Alright Sammy boy, lets get some grub. As they ambled along the sidewalks, pushing and shoving each other, with the occasional snowball thrown in the laughed and enjoyed themselves. At that moment to any stranger watching they would have seemed like any two teenage boys in middle America. From a distance the scars that they both carried were still only on the inside and unseen to any observers.

As they arrived at the center, they quickly found a seat and were surprised by the number of people there. Sam saw a few kids he knew and headed over to show them his gift. Dean felt a surge of pride as he watched Sam straight and proud showing off the gift that Dean had agonized over. A voice from behind him said softly.

"So you got it huh, He must have been over the top." Dean turned to see Grace standing slightly behind him. His breath caught at how pretty she looked in a slim black skirt and festive red sweater, a Santa hat perched on her head at a jaunty angle.

"Yeah, he was except I screwed it up." Dean said frowning. "No batteries."

Grace stood for a moment and then turned and walked away from Dean. Dean frowned and followed wondering where she was going. She left the dining hall and moved down a set of double doors, as she continued to walk down the hall, Dean followed.

Finally, she came to a small door, pulling out a set of keys. She opened the door and pulled the cord that dangled in front of her. As the light came on, Dean saw that it was a storage closet. She quickly reached into her pocket, pulled out a couple of dollars, and put them in a coffee can. With that, she removed four double AA batteries and handed them to Dean with a flourish.

Dean grinned and accepted the offering. "Can you fix all my problems so easily?" He asked leaning towards her slightly. He watched as she smiled sadly and shook her head.

"Ah, Dean I can't manage my own problems, I very much doubt I would be any help to you." Grace answered softly; she leaned towards Dean carefully and pressed a kiss to his cheek. At his surprised look, she laughed and pointed upward toward the bundle of mistletoe that hung above them. With that she turned and walked back towards the noise of the hall.

Dean hung back recognizing the danger he was quickly falling into. As he walked behind her he reminded himself of his mantra, no strings, and no attachments.

The boys had hung around all evening, and had even ended up being put to work. As the last of the volunteers had left, sharing last goodbyes and Merry Christmas's Dean, Sam and Grace had walked towards her car. With a smile and a laugh she had reached out and kissed Sam on the cheek, she had then turned towards Dean and done the same.

It was only as she turned back away that Dean caught a glimpse of a dark bruise, just under the collar of her sweater, it was an ugly purple color and green color. He debated if he should question the mark but in the end let it go. After all, no strings, and no attachments.

As Sam and Dean waved the small Sentra away, they began the short walk to the apartment building. As the walked in silence Dean heard an engine rumble up behind him. He turned warily and caught sight of the police cruiser that was parked along the curb.

A deep voice called out "Awfully, late for you boys to be hanging around isn't it. Dean had always shown respect to cops, he had often felt that in their own way they were similar to him and his dad, they saved people. This time though as he heard the snide voice cut through the night, he quickly changed his opinion.

"No Officer," Dean said turning and standing slightly in front of Sam. "We just finished volunteering at the senior center and we're heading home. It's only a couple of blocks." Dean stood his ground, and was careful to keep his tone even.

The officer nodded and asked to see Dean's ID. Dean had shrugged and said he wasn't carrying since he wasn't driving. The officer stared hard at the two Winchesters then had nodded "You head on home know, I don't want to catch you boys roaming around again." With that dismissal, he stood on the sidewalk and watched as Dean and Sam turned away.

888

As Dean sat now staring at the dying tree he wondered what had caused the cop to confront them. He wasn't sure why but he had a nagging feeling that he had just landed smack dab on someone's radar. And God knows that's someplace a Winchester couldn't afford to be.

_The boys were pleasantly surprised at the hotel; they had found and checked into. It didn't look like much on the outside but inside the room was clean and neat. Sam had quickly grabbed dibs on the shower first. He was even more surprised at the hot water that poured from the showerhead._

_As he finally forced himself from the warm spray, he set about shaving, his thoughts idly jumping around. He wondered if Dean was nervous about tomorrow, he wondered if she would even recognize Sam. He had spent so many hours with her during that school year, but that had been a long time ago, and he had been much younger. _

_As he grabbed his toothbrush from his kit, he noticed that he was out of toothpaste. He opened the door slightly and yelled to Dean who was efficiently cleaning his .45. "Hey man I'm all out of toothpaste, can I borrow some."_

_Dean looked up and said, "You've got a set of balls, asking me for anything. I still can't taste anything and my nose is still running." _

_Sam tried to look contrite; instead, his face kept breaking into a big grin. Dean finally just growled and reached into his bag pulling out toothpaste and tossing it to his little brother. Sam flicked him a smile and returned to the bathroom._

_As the door closed, Sam missed the lethal smile that lit Dean's face._

_Sam came out ten minutes later tossing the tube back to Dean. "You're turn Dean." He said._

_Dean simply looked at him for a moment and said "You know I think, I'm gonna wait till after we eat I'm starved." Dean smiled broadly at Sam._

_Sam smiled flashing his teeth and said "Sounds good to me, but are you sure your taste buds are up for it."_

_Dean simply grinned and said, "Oh, I'm sure Sammy, I'm sure."_

_Sam sat in the brightly lit restaurant with a smile on his face. Dean had yet to retaliate and Sam was starting to think maybe he wouldn't. _

_Dean sat across from him relaxed with his own grin. He had been hard put not to burst out laughing earlier when his baby brother had shot his most charming smile at the pretty waitress that was waiting for the brother's order. Sam had somehow missed the odd look the girl had sent them._

_Dean chuckled again, this was simply too funny. Almost as good as the time he put Nair in Sam's shampoo bottle. Dean smothered another laugh as he saw Sam send a big grin towards a little girl that walked past the table. The small girl shied away from Sam and said in a stage whisper "Mommy that man with the teeth is staring at me. Make him stop." The mother quickly hustled the girl past Sam as if he had a contagious disease._

_At this Dean simply couldn't stop, he leaned back in his seat and laughed until his sides ached. "Oh, Sammy, man you're just out of luck with the ladies."_

_Sam had become suspicious at the girl's statement and at Dean's sudden laughing fit. "What did you do Dean, What'd you do?"_

_Sam jumped to his feet and hurried towards the men's room. As he moved towards the mirror, he didn't notice anything unusual. Until he caught a glimpse of his teeth, baring his teeth to the mirror Sammy almost choked. "URGH!!! He shouted as he saw what Dean had done. His teeth were black, almost completely black. The hillbilly's that had stolen Sam last year had had whiter teeth._

_Sam quickly bent down and turned on the water; he used his hand to cup a drink and quickly swished it around his mouth. As he spat in the sink he noticed a blackish color, but when he looked at his teeth he still saw no change. Sam slammed out of the bathroom and moved towards the table._

_Dean watched Sam approach with his jaw shut so tight it was a wonder it didn't crack. Dean sat weak, overcome by helpless laughter. Dean watched as Sammy sat across from him and spat out "This is so not funny Dean, I'm going to kill you in your sleep." Dean simply laughed some more._

_"I'm sorry Sam; I can't understand you need to move your lips when you talk." Dean seeing Sam's eyes actually bulge with rage relented slightly. "Dude it's no bid deal, It'll come off as soon as you brush. At least that's what the package read. Besides, your teeth have always been to bright anyway. It's like looking at a mouthful of white chicklets._


	5. Chapter 5

Dean hung up the phone slowly and stared at it. It had been three days since Christmas, he and Sam were on break from school. His dad had just called with some startling news.

"Dean, listen this job is going to take longer than I anticipated. I won't make it home till New Year's Day at least." John had said on the phone.

"That's no problem Dad, Sam and I are fine." Dean had answered surprised that his Dad was worried, he had been gone longer.

"I know Dean; see the problem is that Pastor Jim had called a few days before I started this job. He had tracked down a pretty nasty ghost in Sioux Falls, he gave me all the information and I was planning on swinging by and taking care of it on my way home. Now though, I was thinking maybe you and Sam could take care of it instead. It's a simple salt and burn." John paused for a moment doubt filling him.

"No problem Dad I can handle it. It's not like I've never done a salt and burn before." Dean had been doing them for years now. It's one of the first things John had ever let him do. "Just give me the information and I'll head over there and take care of it." Dean grinned at the prospect of a hunt.

As his Dad filled him in he quickly wrote down the pertinent information, he then said goodbye to his father and hung up. Dean moved towards the bedroom to let Sammy know they had to head out. As he neared the room he paused to watch Sam for a moment. Sam had changed in the past months, he had begun sleeping better, he wasn't so pale and the dark circles under his eyes had finally disappeared. Dean made a quick decision and moved into the room.

"Hey Sam," Dean said as he reached out and swatted Sam's foot. Sam removed his headphones and looked up at Dean with a grin. Dean continued "Listen, Dad called he needs me to do a quick job over in Sioux Falls. I'm gonna head out in an hour and be back by tomorrow afternoon. I need you to stay put and wait for me." Dean turned to leave.

Sam leapt from the bed, following Dean into the living room as Dean slid the couch back and revealed a stash of weapons, and supplies. "Dean, what are you talking about? Dad wants you to go on a hunt, alone? You can't Dean, I mean at least let me come with you. I can watch your back."

Dean ignored the pleading tone in Sam's voice, "I'm old enough Sam. I can handle it. I copied down where I'd be on the notepad in the kitchen. If you need something call Pastor Jim, in the meantime I'll call you as soon as I'm on my way home." With this Dean shoved a change of clothes on top of the supplies."

He then grabbed his coat, keys and wallet. He pulled a wad of bills out of his wallet and set them on the table. As he moved towards the door, he caught a glimpse of Sam's face. Dean quickly tamped down the guilt he felt and walked out.

Dean was in heaven, he had at least a hundred miles to get to Sioux Falls to hunt down and evil spirit and help save an innocent life. As the car moved along the highways eating up the miles, Dean felt a live for the first time in a while. This is just what he needed, he thought to himself. As he turned the already blaring stereo up a little louder he smiled to himself and began singing at the top of his lungs.

_As he turned the already blaring stereo up a little louder he smiled to himself and began singing at the top of his lungs. He was in heaven, he had gotten Sam back in a serious way, and now here he was driving into town radio blaring with nothing more important to do than to pick up dinner for him and Sam. _

_Yup, this is what Dean enjoyed the most. Loud music and the roar of his car moving down the highway at a breakneck speed. Okay so maybe it wasn't his favorite way to relax but it surely ranked up there. As the car moved along the highways eating up the miles, Dean wondered just what Sam would do to try and get even for the black teeth. Dean reminded himself not to accept anything from Sam for the next few days._

Well, Fuck thought Dean this surely wasn't working out the way it was supposed to. The plan had been to enter the graveyard. Find the grave he was looking for, which would be just where Pastor Jim said it would be. Next dig a six foot hole, break open the coffin and salt and burn the corpse. Simple right, I mean he had done it so many times before.

Instead, he was trying desperately to fit his six foot frame behind a small headstone. He was hoping like hell the spirit that had so recently thrown him against a tree as he had tried to find its grave site would disappear. Off to terrorize someone else for a while.

Dean felt a trickle of blood seep down from his forehead; he quickly wiped it off with his hand and waited. This whole trip had been a disaster, he had shown up as planned late in the afternoon, but as he had entered the cemetery after midnight a group of kids had been hanging out. His plan had been to wait them out, surely this town had some kind of curfew, he had thought to himself.

Well apparently it didn't, it wasn't until the sun started to rise that the last of the party goers finally took off. At that point Dean was too worried about being spotted to begin digging in broad daylight. So he had found a phone book and picked the first motel listed. Sunset Springs was it's name, it was clean and the couple who ran it happily accepted the cash that Dean paid with.

He had gotten some takeout food, and had crashed in the motel room. He planned on getting some sleep and then heading out to the cemetery that night. He had awoken at five, gotten some food and had sat down to watch a movie. At midnight he had again found himself at the local cemetery. This time their had been no kids to interfere; however the instructions Dean had been given were crap. There was no grave marked for a Pete Gregory, scouring the graveyard hadn't helped.

Dean could not find the guy's grave. He had been standing there hands on his hips, and considering trying the other cemetery that was located across town, it was then that something had jerked his legs out from underneath him and flung him at the tree.

That's when Dean had quickly scrambled to this less than ideal covering. Dean's eyes scoured the area around him. He figured he must have stumbled onto old Pete's bones by accident or the spirit wouldn't have bothered him. Finally, not seeing what he was looking for he closed his eyes for a moment and opened them slowly. He concentrated on the ground rather than the headstones themselves.

There, Dean thought to himself. There was a patch of rooted up grass, as his eyes locked in on that place he saw something move from the corner of his eye. He barely ducked in time as a stone planter was flung towards him. Dean rolled to his left and swiftly gained his feet, as he moved towards the bag of supplies he had brought with him he reached in with one quick movement jerking the shotgun out and fired behind him without looking.

He heard a scream of rage and looked over his shoulder as the spirit dissipated. At least it was gone for the moment, thought Dean as he quickly moved to grab a shovel. Knowing he may have only minutes before the spirit came back, Dean dug quickly.

He was about halfway down, when suddenly something again grabbed him and hurled him out of the hole he was in. This time when he landed on his chest the air in his lungs disappeared. And he was unable to take in a new one. As the spots began clouding his vision he lunged towards the shotgun that was near the grave site and just barely managed to fire another shell into good ol' Pete. "Aw, Bitch" Dean whispered still trying to get his breath back.

A few minutes later saw Dean once again in the hole and digging for all he was worth. He finally caught a break this time. He hit the wooden coffin before; the ghost was able to come back. Breaking into the casket, Dean quickly poured salt, over the corpse and clawed his way out of the hole. Dean could see the sky was lightening, and found it hard to believe it had taken so long to get this done. Dean stood at the hole and poured gasoline over the corpse. He then pulled out a book of matches and lit one.

As Dean moved to strike the match it happened. Again, Peter's spirit grabbed a hold of Dean and threw him for the third time across the cemetery. For a moment after he landed Dean actually laughed, thinking to himself that this time he had escaped the fall unharmed. That was until he looked at the steel spike that was poking up through the material of his jeans.

Dean actually stared in confusion for a moment. He touched the spike carefully wondering what it was. As he looked at the blood that now adorned his fingertips, he felt a bit nauseas. "Get a grip Dean. It's nothing just a little hole. Nothing a little peroxide and some aspirin won't fix." Dean said to himself as he again felt a roll of nausea run through him. "I just need to close my eyes for a moment; if I don't look at it I'm sure I'll feel better." Dean said again. With this thought Dean laid his head against the ground and let the darkness take him.

888

Sam was worried, really worried. Dean was supposed to be back no later than this afternoon. He knew his brother wouldn't have stayed on another night without calling first. He had tried reaching his Dad but had gotten no answer at the motel he was staying in. Sam began pacing again as he glanced at the clock.

Dean had now been gone over twelve hours longer than he was supposed to be gone. Sam finally made a decision. He knew that in a circumstance like this it was Pastor Jim he was supposed to call, however Pastor Jim was close to four maybe even five hours away from Sioux Falls, and Sam was only an hour and a half.

Now that Sam had a plan he moved with purpose. He filled a duffle with supplies including the first aid kit that John kept at the house. He gathered the money that Dean had left for him and left the apartment.

He moved down the street at a fast pace, he needed a car and the only person he knew of in town with a car would be at the library right about now.

Grace stared in surprise to see Sam come through the doors just before nine o'clock at night. He looked terrible and Grace felt a moment of worry as he came towards her. "Grace, I need to borrow your car."

Grace stared at Sam; she would have smiled except he had said it with such force. "What's going on Sam?" Grace asked her voice now as serious as his.

"Dean's in trouble and I need to go get him. My Dad's away and I can't reach him. Please Grace I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important." Sam stared at her willing her to say yes.

"Let's go, Sam" Grace had said grabbing her coat and keys. Sam stared in surprise he had honestly anticipated wasting time, trying to convince Grace that he was serious. He hadn't expected her to just say yes. As he followed her through the doors he thanked God for giving him such a friend.

An hour later and Sam was cursing the day he had ever met Grace. He wasn't sure when the situation had gotten out of control but it defiantly was. Upon leaving the library, Grace had ordered him into her car. It was at this point that it finally occurred to Sam that Grace had no intention of allowing him to go after dean on his own. He had tried reasoning with her. "Grace, you can't come with me. I just need to borrow the car. I mean I just needed a car, not a chaperon."

Grace had simply sat at the town's main intersection and said "Right or Left Sam, which way. You might as well give up, there's no way I'm going to let you take off on your own. Dean would never forgive me. Now tell me where we're going or we'll sit here all night."

Sam had heard the determination in her voice. He had finally said "West we're going west. Sioux Falls." Sam had watched as Grace took off in the night and he pondered what possible excuse he could give this young girl for what his brother had been doing in Sioux Falls.

Grace could feel the nervousness pouring off of Sam, she finally broke the silence. "You don't have to explain anything to me Sam. But if you could let me know what kind of trouble Dean might be in I would appreciate it."

Sam slouched even further in to the leather seat beneath him. "He's hunting and he was supposed to be home yesterday. You know what's he like, he would never leave me alone this long without calling. Something's wrong I know it."

Grace had nodded and said "fair enough, I know that Dean would have called. So do you have some idea of where he is?"

Sam nodded and pulled out a battered notebook. I know have a general idea, and I'm hoping to find the Impala." Sam quickly checked his seat belt once again as Grace passed yet another semi. He felt a sense of relief at Grace's seriousness; she had never doubted what he said.

"I don't believe you, you know that right. I very much doubt that your brother suddenly decided to go hunting in Sioux Falls. I do believe you when you say he's in trouble. And I really don't mind that you don't want to tell me the whole truth. I'm pretty familiar with the town; once we get there you can let me know where you need to get to." With these words Grace leaned over and turned on the radio, quickly tuning the dial to a hard rock station, she turned it up full blast and focused on the road ahead.

As the silver sentra pulled into the parking lot of a Seven Eleven, Sam moved towards the phone book that hung from a pay phone. He quickly looked up motels and tore out the page. As he got back in the car, he looked with disbelief at the number of listings. There was no way he would be able to find Dean.

"What's the first one?" Grace asked as she began driving.

Sam answered "Sunset Springs Motel" Sam looked in surprise as Grace began driving the main strip in town. She finally turned into the parking lot for the Sunset Springs. She parked at the main entrance and said to Sam. "Stay Here, do not move do not get out. Hell, I would prefer if you didn't breathe to much. I will return you to Dean in one piece do you understand me." Grace watched as Sam swallowed and nodded yes.

Grace walked into the brightly lit room and felt a moment's relief to see an older gentleman at the desk. She smiled confidently and moved towards him. "Excuse me, my name is Grace Winchester. My brother Dean stayed here a couple of days ago." At the man's affirming nod, Grace felt weak with relief.

She dimmed her smile a bit and continued "Dean, and my parents got in a fight. See they want Dean to go to college and he wants to be a Marine instead. So he left home. I've been worried sick ever since. Then this morning I got a phone call from the Sioux Falls sheriffs department. Well apparently Dean tied one on last night and they have him in a holding cell. I'm on my way to bail him out and he asked if I would stop and gather his stuff for him. Oh and does he still owe anything?"

Grace watched as the older man Shake his head, "Naw, don't worry about it, it's not like people are banging down the door to stay here right now. He seemed like a nice young man, I was going to clean out the room in the morning, I'll give you the key and you can take care of it."

Grace smiled a thanks took the room key and walked down to room number seven. As she opened the door, she was surprised by the neatness of the room. No Dean though, Grace quickly gathered up the few articles of clothing and toiletries she found and was back out in the car within minutes.

Sam looked up in anticipation, "Any sign of him?" Sam asked as Grace stowed Dean's belongings in the back seat.

Grace started the engine and said "No, now do you want to tell me where else to look or am I just supposed to cruise until I find the car?"

Sam sighed; he had no choice he was going to have to tell her something. "Um, I think the closest cemetery would be the best bet." Sam glanced out of the corner of his eye waiting for the inevitable questions.

Instead Grace merely started the engine and left the lot. Ten minutes later, they pulled up behind the Impala. Sam felt a moment's relief. He quickly led the way into the cemetery, eyes scanning for any sign of his brother. It was Grace that found him.

As Grace moved across the darkened cemetery she tried to imagine, just what possible reason Dean had for coming here, on a dark dreary night. She kept her flashlight trained on the ground in front of her; finally, she saw footprints in the snow. She quickly began following calling Dean's name over and over again.

It was then she saw the dark shadow hidden in a clump of trees, close to an open hole in the ground. As she approached her flashlight trained on the shadow, she saw Dean lying still, eyes closed. She ran forward shouting for Sam.

"Dean, Dean come on wake up." Grace desperately felt for a pulse in his neck, she was grateful when she found a strong heartbeat. She looked at his face noting the blood that had dried in lines on his face.

She ran the flash light over the rest of his body, almost missing the injury. If it wasn't for the blood that had pooled and melted in the snow, she may not have even seen it. But there it was on the outside of his thigh, poking through the material of his jeans, a piece or rebar sticking straight up and out of his leg. Grace winced and lightly patted Dean's face again.

Sam reached her side, and moaned softly at the appearance of his brother, he was pale, bloody and filthy dirty. Sam reached out and felt his face, wincing at its coldness. As he looked around he noted the shotgun by Dean's hand and a pack of matches lying on the ground beside his outstretched hand.

It was at this point that Sam remembered just why Dean had come here. "Grace stay right here, don't move." Sam said as he began to move cautiously towards the open grave. Grace watched Sam in confusion as he moved towards the hole in the ground. Just as he reached it, Grace saw a flash of something silvery and Sam was suddenly flying through the air, landing just short of where Grace and Dean.

As Grace moved to go towards Sam's side a hand reached out and grabbed hold of her arm. She looked down and into a pair of green eyes. "Grace you have to light a match and throw it down the hole. Quickly Grace before it goes after Sam again."

Grace wanted to ask questions, she wanted to check on Sam. Hell there were a whole list of things she wanted to do, instead she looked steadily into Dean's serious eyes and nodded. Grabbing up the match book she stood to move. She faintly heard Dean tell her to get down at the edge of the hole.

Dean leaned over and picked up the shotgun, he had only one shot left. He sat up ignoring the pain in his leg, and aimed towards the grave. As Grace approached he sighted just above her head, he wanted to lower his shot but wasn't sure if Grace would duck down as he'd asked.

Grace approached the hole unsure of what she would find. As she came within a foot of it, she dropped to the ground. A moment later she heard the sound of a shot being fired and felt something pass over her head. Ignoring her ringing ears for a moment, she quickly scooted forward and struck a match. Not even bothering to see what was in the hole, she threw the match over the edge and watched as the flames leaped and grew.

She hazards a glance over her shoulder and saw Sam limping towards his brother. The flames from the fire cast a sort of orange glow off the snow, and Grace found that she could actually see. She climbed to her feet and moved towards Dean, as she did she began stripping off the sweater she wore. Moving to kneel beside Dean, she quickly took off the tee shirt she had been wearing beneath it. "Sam, go get the first aid kit, hurry."

Dean watched as Grace approached his side, he suddenly felt calmer than he had in hours. He wasn't sure how Sam and Grace had come to be here but he was happy nonetheless. He watched as Grace stripped down to her bra.

A flare of light from the fire fell diagonally across her body. That's when he saw it, emblazoned across her stomach was a bruise, it was a vivid purple color. As Dean watched her in the flickering light, he could see a pattern in the bruise. The young man realized just what had caused that bruise. Someone had stomped on her stomach. As Grace began pulling the sweater back on Dean noticed more bruising above the simple white bra she wore, and what looked like finger prints on her arm.

Grace could see Dean shaking and she was concerned with how she was going to get that shaft out of his leg with out causing more damage. She quickly took the tee shirt she had taken off and started ripping it into strips. As Sam came racing towards her with the kit, she looked carefully at the Dean's wound. It was obvious that he had fallen on it, She moved her hands around the ground where the rebar was pushed into the ground.

She was grateful that the long cylinder of metal was loose in the ground below Dean's body. She looked at the end that jutted up from Dean's body and shuddered. The end above his jeans was flattened as if it had been hammered. This meant that if Grace pulled the shaft out of Dean's leg from the back it would cause even more damage.

Grace nodded and made a decision. "Sam I need water, alcohol and a crow bar." Grace barely noticed Sam take off towards the Impala. She simply began pulling supplies out of the kit that Sam had brought earlier. "Dean this is going to hurt but I'm afraid to leave it in any longer. I'm going to do it fast, alright and then we'll get you out of here." Grace took a moment to smile at Dean. "It's going to be alright."

Dean laid there the pain in his leg causing his thoughts to scatter. Finally, as he saw Sam returning he blurted out. "Who hurt you?" Dean grimaced at the awkwardness of his words.

Grace merely smiled softly and said "It doesn't matter Dean, it's unimportant." With that she nodded Sam to set the items on the ground. She carefully felt around Dean's leg again. As she located the shaft just behind his thigh she began gently digging out the snow and dirt. Luckily the ground was fairly soft from the snow and blood that had dripped down. Also, it didn't hurt that the shaft had never been put in the ground properly.

She quickly felt the end in the ground come loose. At this point she had Sam help Dean onto his good side. As Grace stared down at the piece of metal that had pierced Dean's thigh she almost passed out. She pulled her eyes from his leg and looked at Sam who sat across from her. She could see Sam's heart in his eyes, as he held onto his brother's arm. Grace drew a deep breath and began.

She took the water that Sam had brought from the car and poured it over the rod. She took her time and scrubbed as much dirt and grime as possible. She tried her best not to wiggle the rod at all, but she knew by Dean's stifled moans she wasn't succeeding. As she finished she noted that she could was starting to be able to see without the aid of the flashlight Sam was holding. She was thankful to see the sun rising.

Next Grace held her hand towards Sam asking for the alcohol. Sam handed her the biggest bottle of alcohol that Grace had even seen. She merely raised an eyebrow at Sam who grinned and shrugged. Grace shook her head and poured the alcohol over the rod again and again. She the poured it over the top of the rod, which only cleared Dean's jeans by an inch or so.

Dean hissed in pain as the alcohol penetrated his wound. Sam's hold on his arm tightened and Dean realized just how upset his little brother was. "It's alright Sam, It really doesn't hurt that much." Dean ended this sentence with a yelp as Grace positioned the crow bar against the top of the rod. Without a word she quickly pulled on the crow bar lifting the rod almost all the way out.

Grace knew she was going to be sick as she felt the rod move through Dean's leg. Working quickly before he had a chance to move she leaned down and grasped the rod. It was warm and sticky with Dean's blood. She pulled with all her might, trying to pull straight up and out. As the rod came loose in her hands she quickly tossed it aside and began using the cotton batting she had found to pack both wounds she then took the tee shirt she had ripped and bound the leg tight.

It was only then that she moved from Dean's side, quickly over to a clump of bushes. As she leaned over she drew in deep breaths trying to push back the rising nausea. It took her a few minutes to get herself under control.

Dean's had almost passed out when Grace had pulled the bar loose, it had even taken him a minute to realize that she had left his side. Now though he could see her standing a few feet away breathing deeply. He felt a moment's admiration for the girl, who stood before him. He wondered with a frown just how much Grace now knew about the Winchesters.

Sam was holding tightly to Dean, he thanked god that Grace had been there. He knew that he never would have been able to do what she did. Glanced at Dean and noticed him staring at Grace. "I didn't tell her anything, though I'm sure she has questions, lots and lots of questions." Sam told his brother.

Dean simply nodded and called out "Grace are you okay, we really need to be going." Dean watched as she drew in another deep breath and nodded.

_Dean had returned an hour ago to the hotel that he and Sam were staying in. As he had entered the room he had quickly scanned every item in it. He knew that Sam would want revenge and Dean had no intention of falling for it. He moved towards the table in the far corner and deposited the bag of food he had bought. _

_Dean quickly pulled out the burger and fires that he had ordered and opening a soda he moved to sit. Dean congratulated himself on volunteering to get the food that was Sam was unable to sabotage another meal. As Dean moved to sit he realized that Sam could have loosened the chair legs intending the seat to collapse under Dean when he sat._

_Sam watched as Dean inspected the chair, and made no effort to stop the laughter that was pouring from him. To be honest he had been sitting here for the last hour trying to come up with some prank that would name him master once and for all. Instead he had come up blank, until he had seen Dean enter the room with such suspicion. Sam laughed once again as Dean crawled under the table to check the underneath._

_Ah, Sam thought as he held his sides, wiped his eyes and watched Dean's burger get cold. Sometimes the best revenge is no revenge at all._


	6. Chapter 6

Grace followed the big black car down the highway, it had taken close to an hour to get Dean cleaned up enough and into the car. During this time, Sam had talked, talked about who the Winchesters were and what they did.

Grace hadn't asked any questions she had simply listened; Grace knew about evil and had for some time. It really wasn't any surprise that evil sometimes took a supernatural shape.

Once Grace had gotten Dean settled she had prepared to leave her car and drive the Impala back to town. To her relief Dean had stopped her though. "Grace, give the keys to Sam he can drive back."

Grace had offered an argument but relinquished the keys when Sam produced a false but authentic looking driver's license. As she turned the keys over, she paused and said, "We may get separated, I want you to go to 408 Park Ave. Knock on the Door and Dr. Brown will help you out. I'll meet you there but it may take some time." At this, she looked directly into Dean's green eyes and said, "Promise Dean. Promise you'll meet me there." At Dean's nod, Grace turned and got into her own car.

As she watched the Impala cross over the town line, she breathed a sigh of relief. At least no one knew they had been with Grace. She knew though that she wouldn't be as lucky. Sure enough, she saw the cop car pull out behind her just as she reached Main Street. She ignored the flashing lights she saw in her rearview for a few more blocks hoping to avoid stopping until more people were around.

As she approached downtown she finally pulled over, knowing it wasn't worth pushing any farther. As she stepped out of the car, and waited for the officer to approach her she took a deep breath and managed to push away her fear. He fed on fear, loved to see her sweat.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite seventeen year old. Where have you been all night Missy." The officer asked as he approached Grace.

Grace rolled her eyes and spat "Like I'd tell you anything. What do you need Deputy Jones."

Deputy Jones moved towards Grace, so close she could see smell coffee on his breath. Grace tried to step away but he had her pinned against the side of her car. "Your Daddy's looking for you babe. You need to hightail it home right now. He knows you never came home, and he's not happy. Maybe if you're a good girl, he might go easy on you." Jones laughed cruelly and stepped away, tipping his hat at her, he waited with arms crossed for Grace to get back in her car.

Grace stood for a moment unsure, if she went home now, with the police escort she stood a change of coming out of this alive. If however she took off as she really wanted to do, and went to find out if Dean was okay, well she was basically dead. But then again thought Grace she had been dead for the last seven years, at least her soul had been if not her body.

It had been the Winchester's that had reminded her that, there was more to life than avoiding the beatings that came regardless of what she did. She nodded and moved in one quick motion. As she ran towards the small alley that ran next to the newspaper store, she turned and saw Jones standing in the entry. She knew he wouldn't follow on foot that might require that he sweat and Jones always made sure that he never broke a sweat.

All Grace had to do was to stick to back yards as she made her way over to the doc's.

Dean lay on his elbows and watched as the senior Doctor untied Grace's makeshift bandage. As the wound was exposed Dean breathed deep trying to push down the nausea he felt. He was suddenly glad that Doc Brown's wife had taken Sam to the kitchen to feed him.

Doc Brown whistled appreciatively as he examined the wound. As he began gathering supplies he said "I'm going to give you a local anesthetic, are you sure you don't want something stronger to help with the pain. This is going to be a real doozy to clean."

Dean simply shook his head and leaned back to stare at the ceiling; he quickly cast his mind around for something to think about other than the pain that was radiating up from his leg. Grace, he thought yeah, now there was someone that would occupy his thoughts. He had been so impressed with the way she had handled everything tonight.

Sam had even joked that she should be an honorary member of the Winchester clan. After all, she had done her first salt and burn and performed makeshift triage all in one night. Yeah, thought Dean she really was something. As he reviewed the past hours, his mind came to rest on the bruises he had seen on her torso.

He pushed himself up on his elbows and gazed shrewdly at the doctor in front of him. "So, you know Grace well?" Dean asked as he tried to avoid looking directly at the wound in his leg.

Doctor Brown nodded slightly and answered, "Yup delivered her as a babe and treated her for every cold since."

Dean nodded and looked at the doctor willing him to return his stare "so, who's beating her and why don't you have the balls to stop them?" Dean asked harshly.

The Doctor looked up surprised, having difficulty meeting the direct gaze of the young man before him. "You really need to talk to Grace, it's not my place."

"So, whose place is it? I mean you're her doctor, who better than you to protect her." Dean asked his face a darkening cloud.

The Doctor resumed cleaning Dean's wound and said "Her step father is Gary Towhill the town sheriff. He basically owns the town and he owns Grace. The last two families that tried to help the girl lost everything.

The first were the Eastlacks, Grace had been childhood friends with their oldest daughter. They couldn't bear to see the abuse that Grace was taking. They reported it to social services. Two days later, their youngest daughter was found beaten to death in a field. All evidence pointed to the father Will. He's in prison serving a life sentence." The Doctor waited for his hands to steady before pulling out the sutures to stitch Dean's wound.

"The second one was Chris Morris, he was a friend of Grace's thought he'd play the hero and help her. He ended up in a shoot out with one of the deputies. The Deputy claimed the lad was high and pulled a gun on him. All the evidence supported the good Deputy's testimony. He was given a promotion for breaking down a local drug ring. Are you getting the picture yet son?" The Doctor finished suturing and bandaged the wound.

Dean sat up as soon as the doctor finished and swung his legs off the table. He felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't bear to listen to this man justify why the townspeople allowed a bastard like Towhill that much power.

Before Dean could get off the table, Grace walked in a tired smile on her face. "So how's he doing Doc.? Did you save the leg?"

Dean watched as Grace moved across the room, slowly. It was then that he remembered just how much lifting Grace had done to get him back to the car. "You okay Grace?" Dean asked.

Grace looked at Dean in surprise "I'm fine" she quickly answered as she realized that he couldn't know about the run in she had just had. "Did I do the right thing Doc, pulling it out?" Grace moved towards Dean and leaned against the table he was on.

Dean leaned over and gently kissed her cheek, "you did fine Grace, just fine." He gave her a wink and pointed to a pile of clothes on the desk in the corner. "I'm going to get dressed and we'll get going."

Grace retrieved the pile and laid it on the table next to Dean; she nodded and headed back out the door.

The Doctor had stood quietly and watched the exchange. "Son, before you decide to play hero just remember that hero's die all the time. And sometimes the people they love die also." With these words, Doctor Brown left the room.

A moment later Sam came in and sat with Dean while he dressed, after watching Sam bite his fingernails down to the quick Dean asked "What's on your mind Sam?"

Sam grinned guiltily and asked, "Are we going to help her, Grace I mean. I saw those bruises Dean and I know their not the first. We're going to save her right."

Dean finished pulling on his clothes and reached out towards Sam wrapping one arm around his kid brother he simply said "That's what hero's do Sam, they save the girl."

_ Dean lay in bed and listened. It had been hours since Sam had brushed his teeth clean, hours since Dean had returned with dinner, hours since Sam had gone to sleep, and here Dean was still staring at the ceiling. He was unable to relax enough to sleep. He had spent all evening waiting for Sam to get even._

_After Dean had finally managed to choke down his cold burger and fries, he had decided on a shower. But then Dean had realized that Sam was probably waiting for just such an opportunity to get even. And then Dean had thought that maybe Sam had already gotten even and Dean just hadn't stumbled on the prank yet. So Dean had spent the evening going through his belongings trying to find the joke. _

_And to top it off he'd had to listen to his baby brother's constant braying laugh as he'd finally in desperation dumped his toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo and shaving cream in the trash. Nope, Sam would not be pulling a fast one on Dean this time Dean was prepared._

_So he told himself as he lay in the darkness afraid of closing his eyes for what Sam might do when Dean was asleep. Oh, well he told himself what was one nights sleep in the big picture. If he managed to avoid whatever lame prank Sam had in mind then he would know once and for all that he was the master at practical jokes. Yep, thought Dean what's one night?_

Just before the boys and Grace prepared to leave the doctors house the doctor motioned Dean into his office. He studied the young boy before him and wished the best for him. "Listen, son if you're really intent on helping Grace, I'll help in any way I can. I just can't afford to piss off the sheriff; if Millie was gone it would be different. But I can't risk he would hurt her. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope you can help her she's a sweet girl and she deserves far more from life." With these words, Doc gave Dean a bottle of antibiotics for his leg and ushered him and the other kids out to the car.

As the three ducked into the car, Grace was careful not to be seen. She didn't want the Winchesters hurt from an association with her. When they pulled into the parking lot both boys groaned at the sight of their Dad's black pick up truck. "Shit" Dean said with feeling.

Grace began to get out "listen guys I'm going to head out, I'll see you both later." She stopped only when Dean limped in front of her.

"Oh, no you don't. We're going to need a buffer and you've been volunteered." He gently placed an arm around her shoulder and limped towards the apartment.

Grace remained at Dean's side fearful that he would fall without her to balance on. She didn't want to meet the elder Winchester. From what the boys said and didn't say he seemed like a hard man. Grace had enough hard men in her life; she really had no desire for another. But then again, if the boy's were going to catch hell, at least she could stand with them and take her fair share. She was an expert at taking her fair share.

John paced the living room; he had been in the process of calling everyone he ever knew when he had heard the sound of the Impala pulling up. Now he was simply waiting to tear into his two dumb ass sons, neither of which had left a note letting their father know where they were.

As the door opened, John charged his sons, words spilling from him. He was just about to reach the door when a small honey colored head came into his vision. He paused and backed up a few steps. The girl stood in front of Sam and Dean, her hands were on her hips, and she wore a stern face. As John paused in his tirade, she took a step towards him and poked him in the chest.

"You have no right to yell at either of these boys. You were the one that sent Dean in danger and you are the one that wouldn't answer your phone when Sammy called for help. So you can just cut the crap and leave them alone before Dean passes out on the floor." With these words, Grace hurried back to Dean and helped him over to the couch. As she lowered him down, she caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Expecting a hit, she flinched and hunched protectively over Dean.

Dean reached up and took both her hands in his, pulled her down on the couch next to him and whispered in her ear. "You're safe here Grace, so are Sammy and myself. My Dad would never touch us, yell yes, hit no." He gently smoothed her hands in his.

Grace glanced up at the big man looming over her and almost panicked. It was only when Sam sat on her other side that she really calmed.

John glared down at the teenage girl that sat next to his sons. He was confused and angry that this girl seemed to know so much about what his boys had been doing. Not to mention he didn't appreciate the fact that she seemed intent on protecting his sons from him.

John's conflicting emotions only became more so as Dean began to talk. As Dean's story unfolded, John collapsed onto one of the kitchen chairs. Shaking his head, the only thought he could muster was leave it to his boys to turn a simple salt and burn into a genuine catastrophe.

Finally, after all was said and done, Dean walked Grace to the door. She kissed first Sam and then Dean goodbye, as she left Dean watched her for a moment walking down the corridor. As he turned and shut the door, he motioned to Sam to leave the room and he approached his Dad.

Dean sank wearily on the couch and said "Dad I need to ask you for help." Dean watched as John moved immediately towards the couch and took a knee.

"Does you're leg hurt? I can take a look if you want? And I know you don't like to take them but I do have painkillers if it's too bad." John said examining the lump on Dean's forehead.

Dean pulled away and said "No, it's not the leg. I'm fine, it's about Grace." And with those words he began telling his Dad everything he knew about Grace and what was happening in the small town.

As Dean finished John stood and said "Good to know we'll wait till that leg heals and head out. Find ourselves somewhere new. No point in staying somewhere we may get caught up with the law. Now, this girl she'll keep her mouth shut?" John asked as he sat at the table and began writing in his journal.

Dean snorted in frustration. "Dad, she needs help. We can't just up an leave her, I saw the marks, he's hurting her. We need to save her that's what we do."

As John studied the journal before him, he answered Dean absently. "No Dean we hunt evil that's what we do. Listen I'm not going to risk you and Sam for some girl you don't even know."

Dean shook his head "Don't know her; she just saved mine and Sam's lives. I think we know her pretty well Dad, please I'm asking. There must be something you can do."

John barely heard Dean as his attention focused on a line of Latin that may have a different translation as he moved to get a book to reference he never noticed Dean struggle to get to his feet and head into his bedroom.

Sam watched as Dean hobbled into the room. He could tell by Dean's face that their Dad had disappointed him. Sam didn't know why this always seemed to surprise Dean, Sam had known for a long time now that John just wasn't capable of focusing on the world in front of him. He was too busy fighting a war that would never truly be over.

"Don't say it Sam" Dean warned as he collapsed on his bed. "I know what you're thinking, but it's not like he doesn't care he just worries that we'll be put in danger."

Sam merely snorted "Sure Dean." Sam watched as Dean laid a weary hand on his forehead. He knew that ragging on John would only upset Dean more so he simply said "Okay then what can we do?"

Dean looked over at Sam and said "We'll come up with a plan and we'll help her."


	7. Chapter 7

Dean and Sam returned to school three days later. Over the vacation, they had come up with and discarded several plans to help Grace. They had finally decided on one, but they needed to talk to her. "Listen Sam, if you see her today slip her a note. Tell her we'll meet her tonight at the library at nine o'clock."

Sam nodded solemnly and walked with Dean into the school. By his last class, Sam was a nervous wreck. He had found out from a friend that Grace hadn't been in school today. Sam hoped he would see her at the library tonight. He tried not to dwell, on reasons why she had missed school.

Dean pulled up outside the library at nine o'clock that night and prayed he would find Grace here this evening. As he walked inside, he saw Sam standing and waiting a look of panic on his face. Sam simply shook his head and walked past Dean to the waiting car.

As the week continued both Winchesters were all but tearing apart the town looking for any sign of her. No one they had checked with had seen her since Friday. That had been the last time the boys had seen her.

Finally, as the fifth day dawned Dean simply turned to Sam and said, "I'm going in tonight. I'm going to check out the house and see if I can find her."

"I'm going with you Dean, she's my friend too." Sam stood before Dean with a resolute look on his face. Sam breathed a sigh of relief at Dean's nod.

"Tonight then." Dean moved to get ready for school hating the fact that he was going to have to wait until at least midnight to enter Grace's house.

_Sam finally took pity on Dean the next morning as they sat at a local diner. Dean looked like hell, he hadn't shaved or showered yet and he was becoming increasingly ripe. Sam smothered a last chuckle and confessed what he had been doing. "Uh, Dean I've got something to tell you. There was no prank. I couldn't think of anything to outdo the toothpaste. Then when you came back from getting dinner you were so paranoid, I just figured I'd see how long it took you to figure it out."_

_"But with today and all I couldn't let you keep worrying." Sam looked steadily at his older brother trying to gauge just what was going on behind those heavy lidded eyes._

_Finally, Dean shook his head slightly and said "Damn, Sammy that's a good one." With that, Dean seemed to relax slightly and began eating with more eagerness._

_Sam grinned proud of the compliment. He was surprised though, usually Dean would never let him off the hook so easily. Sam suddenly stared at his food, he tried to remember whether he had gone to the restroom before or after Dean had sat down. As Sam looked up to see Dean's quickly smothered grin, he pushed the plate away. _

_Dean didn't bother trying to hide his grin. "What's the matter Sammy, eggs too well done?" Dean asked as he took another large bite of his pancakes. Finally, Dean took pity on his brother and simply said "Truce, Sam?" Sam nodded emphatically and they both settled in to enjoy their breakfast. "At least for now," Dean said with a flash of a smile._

"Alright Sam let's go." The brothers quickly made their way across the manicured lawn of Grace's large two-story house. Dean moved carefully, trying not to let the wound in his leg stop his progress. Sam was slightly behind him, Dean was glad to note just how careful Sam was being.

As they moved towards a trellis that reached up to a second floor balcony, Dean quickly climbed it, using it like a ladder. Sam waited until Dean reached the balcony and started up after his brother. Both boys were nervous, it had been almost one o'clock before the last of the lights had gone off. They had then waited another hour before daring to enter the property.

Now here it was nearly two o'clock and they needed to hurry. They had to be home well before dawn, it wouldn't do for anyone to see them so early in the morning. Sam watched in admiration as Dean carefully picked the lock on the door in front of them. As they entered the room, they moved quietly across the master bedroom.

Sam found himself constantly gazing at the two people ensconced in the huge bed. As Dean quietly opened the bedroom door and started down the hall, Sam felt fission of fear. Not only were they putting themselves at risk, but they were also putting Grace in danger. He knew though, that they really didn't have any choice if they were going to get Grace help.

Dean moved down the hall, opening doors as he went. Finally, at the last one on the left he noticed a locked door. He quickly applied his pick unlocked the door. As he slowly pushed it open, he was shocked at the mess before him.

The room had been destroyed; all of its contents had been shredded. There were piles of pictures, posters, books, and even clothing scattered. Dean could even see blood on a few surfaces. He suddenly felt sick; he couldn't imagine just what had occurred. He moved forward beckoning Sam to follow.

He had a sudden thought that he shouldn't have allowed Sam to come with him. Dean prayed to god that they weren't too late, that they wouldn't find Grace's cold body somewhere in the wreckage. As he moved forward he noticed a door that was slightly open, he pushed it open farther and turned on the light switch.

That's when he saw her; huddled in a corner of the bathroom on the cold tile floor. At first, Dean couldn't even tell if she was alive. It was only after he saw the shaking that he realized she was still alive. He called out to her gently, he was afraid of approaching her too suddenly. He was afraid she'd scream.

As he moved slowly toward her, he talked. The words he used weren't important, the tone of his voice was all that counted. It was a trick he had learned long ago, when Sam had been an infant and was teething. It had always worked to calm him and Dean was glad to see that it also worked on Grace.

Grace pushed herself farther into the corner when she the bathroom light came on. She kept her eyes closed, hoping, and praying that she would just die. She had nothing left, and she was sure that no one would even care. She was done fighting; she had tried fighting back the first three days, today though, she just couldn't do it anymore.

As she huddled on the cold floor, she heard a voice call her name. She was so afraid it was some kind of trick, so she refused to look up. It was only as the persistent voice kept nagging that she began to believe it might really be Dean. Without moving a muscle, she whispered "Dean?" A moment later, she was carefully gathered into his warm embrace. Grace gave in and the tears fell silently down her cheeks.

Dean picked her up and held her against him, he wasn't worried about the tears she was shedding, but the shivering of her body had him nervous. He had never felt skin this cold, he stood carefully and carried her back to her bed. As he sat down with her on his lap he noticed the ties on the four corners of the four poster bed. Dean bit back an exclamation of anger and said to Sam.

"Find something to clean her up with Sam." Sam moved into the bathroom and came back a moment later with a warm washcloth. Sam sat by the bed and began gently cleaning the blood from Grace's face. Her skin was so swollen that Sam was afraid to touch her.

Dean and Sam shared a silent look and nodded to each other. They both knew that their plans had changed. They could no longer simply send her away with a pocketful of money and a new ID as planned; she would need time to heal. Dean said to Grace "Grace honey we're leaving. Is there anything you need?"

Grace had a moment's confusion; she wasn't really sure where she even was. She tried to form the words to ask Dean what he meant but was unable. Her throat hurt to bad to try to use her voice. He voiced her question again and Grace simply stared at him.

"Dean we have to go, she's going to have to leave everything behind." Sam said as he grabbed her school bag, he quickly dumped out her books and began putting what clothing he could find in it. As he was searching for underwear and socks, he came across her purse. He quickly shoved this into the bag also.

Sam turned and nodded to Dean once he had managed a couple changes of clothes. "Dean you're going to have to carry her. Can you make it out on your leg?"

Dean simply nodded and moved towards the bedroom door. As Sam left the room, he looked back once and felt sick. He had seen plenty of death and destruction in his short life, but never had he seen anything so sickening as what one mortal man had done to one young girl. Dean shook his head and had Sam lock the door of Grace's room. He was hoping to borrow some time, before anyone realized that Grace was gone.

Dean quickly led Sam down the stairs and out the front door. He moved fast, while trying to maintain some semblance of cover. He was worried by how still Grace had become. As he and Sam covered the distance to the Impala, Dean could feel the stitches in his leg protest the extra weight. He hoped that they would hold just a little longer.

As they approached the car, Sam swiftly opened the rear door and slid in. He waited as Dean settled Grace with her head against Sam's lap. Sam carefully put his hand on the young girls head and talked softly to her.

Dean cautiously pulled out, finding himself suddenly angry with the loud purr his car made. He was hoping to reach the apartment undetected. As Dean drove the four blocks, he thought about what he was doing. His father had given him an order. Stay out of the girl's life. And for the first time ever Dean was disobeying his father. Not only that, he was about to bring the girl right into the Winchesters home.

Dean only hoped that John would live up to the faith he had in him. He knew in his heart once John was made aware of what had been done to her, that he would be on board. As Dean pulled up to the apartment, he noticed that the light was on in the kitchen window. He felt a queasy sensation in his stomach, obviously his father already knew that he and Sam were gone. Here goes everything Dean thought to himself.

Dean waited as Sam reached out and opened the door to their apartment. He saw his father standing by the kitchen window, and prepared himself for the blast of anger that was sure to come.

As John turned to confront his boys, he caught sight of the girl in Dean's arms. "Oh, God what happened?" John asked sure that the girl must have been in an accident of some kind.

"Her stepfather beat her nearly to death, while all the so-called good people in this town stood by and did nothing." Dean snapped as he carried Grace into the bedroom. He laid her gently on the bed and made soothing noises, meant to calm. He looked up as both Sam and his father entered the room.

Dean watched as John moved towards the young girl, kneeling at her side, he carefully checked the wound on her forehead that was still seeping blood slowly. "Can you help her Dad or do you think we need a doctor?" Dean asked with his heart in his eyes.

John nodded and set a hand on Dean's shoulder. "Sammy, you need to call Pastor Jim tell him we're on our way. We'll be there in about five hours, tell him we'll need a doctor. And then I want you to start packing, load up the Impala." John watched as his younger son, left the room. As he turned towards Dean, he tried to ignore the sight of Dean wiping tears from his eyes. Hell, looking down at this shell of a girl John felt like weeping himself.

John found himself questioning Dean about the girl's family. Sam had stopped in for a moment and heard the question. "Her dad died when she was ten, she thinks that Towhill killed him. Her Mom married the bastard a year later." Sam finished shoving his clothes into a couple of bags and headed back out the door. John and Dean shared a sad look and kept working to get her cleaned up.

The second time Sam had come in, Dean was in the process of taking off the bloody tee shirt Grace had been wearing. This time as Sam stood and watched tears leaked steadily from his eyes. "Remember Dean, the M&M's. It took me a while to figure out it was her. Then I remembered telling her about the pancakes you used to make me. M&M pancakes."

Dean nodded and carefully began cleaning the small round burn marks that covered her stomach and sides. "I always figured it was her." Dean said rubbing his arm across his own eyes. As Dean finished applying an antibiotic cream to the last of the burns, he said to Sam. "Throw me a tee-shirt and a pair of your jogs, Sam." Sam moved to comply and then began packing Dean's belongings.

John watched in wonder as his boys continued sharing anecdotes about the young girl before him. He was surprised and disappointed in himself. He had no idea that this girl existed before a couple of days ago and yet she had made such an impact on his kid's lives. So much so that they were willing to give up everything to help her. John's heart swelled with pride, knowing how proud Mary would have been at the compassion they showed.

John stood and said "Dean can you carry her again, I want to be on the road before the sun comes up fully. Oh and put her in the pick up. You're going to drive that out of town and Sam and I are going to drive the Impala." At Dean's nod, John said to Sam. "Sam I want to wipe down all the surfaces. I know we can't get them all but try. I'd rather not leave prints for the bastard to track us with." John watched for a moment as Sam quickly complied. He gestured for Dean to carry her downstairs and moved to help Sam.

They were on the road just as the sun was rising. As Dean watched the town fade in his rearview he felt his heart lighten. No matter what happened from here on out at least he had done his best to help Grace.

_Dean and Sam had returned to the hotel, to shower and change, the room was filled with an uncharacteristic silence, as both men were lost in their own thoughts and memories. Sam was ready first. As he sat on the bed watching Dean try to wrestle his tie into some sort of a knot, he was overcome with nervousness. "Dean, are you nervous?" Sam asked as he looked at his folded hands._

_Dean grimaced and pulled apart the knot he had made in his tie. He swore to god that ties were some sort of torture device. As he began again, he thought about what Sam had said. "Nervous not really I'm just wondering if we'll be welcome you know."_

_Sam nodded and finally took pity on his big brother. He moved to stand in front of him and made quick work of Dean's tie. He brushed invisible lint off Dean's shoulders and smiled._

_Dean returned the look and said, "Here goes everything_._" At Sam's look of understanding Dean pounded Sam on the chest and picked up his keys. "Let's go Cinderella, it's time for the ball," Dean called over his shoulder. _

_Sam simply grinned at his brother's retreating back and followed him into the bright sunshine_


	8. Chapter 8

As John went to climb into the cab of his pick up, he gave his boys one last look. Sam looked heartbroken, and Dean of course looked stoic. John hated putting them through this but really what choice did he have. Protecting his boys came first, and honestly, he had done everything in his power to help the young girl, that was now tucked into one of Pastor Jim's guest rooms.

John was actually still slightly surprised at the lack of argument. He had expected to have to force them into acknowledging that he was right. Instead Sam had, as always, looked toward Dean, and at his nod had simply gathered up his belongings and left the house. John sighed, and climbed into the waiting truck, his mind already moving forward, toward the next town, and the next hunt.

Sam and Dean watched as their Dad climbed into his pick up. Sam couldn't stand the look on Dean's face any longer. "Dean, are you sure we're doing the right thing? I mean letting her wake up in a strange place, shouldn't we at least wait until she's conscience?" Sam again, allowed his eyes to move towards her bedroom window.

Dean was tired, bone tired. They had arrived in Blue Earth six hours ago. They had quickly gotten Grace settled, and had waited until the doctor that Pastor Jim had found could examine her. The doctor had shaken his head at the sad state the young girl was in, but had pronounced her basically okay, nothing that time wouldn't heal. At his words Dean had felt a wave of relief sweep through him; he had been heading towards the stairs when his Dad's words had stopped him cold.

"Sam and Dean I want you ready to roll in fifteen, we gotta go." John had stared at both his boys, as if expecting an argument. Dean had turned ready to give him one when Pastor Jim had spoken up "He's right boys, if this girl's stepfather's a cop he's going to be looking for her. You all need to hightail it out of here before he has a chance to track you. If he came here right now, he'd get her back, and there'd be nothing we could do about.

Dean had looked over his shoulder at Sam, and they had shared a moment's silent communication. Finally, Sam's eyes had filled with tears, and he had nodded at Dean. Dean had returned Sam's nod, and simply said, "We'll be ready."

As Dean slid onto the black leather seat, he glanced once again at Sam. "Sam, Pastor Jim's right. She needs to disappear and so do we." He reached out, and rested a hand on Sam's shoulder, squeezing gently; he started the car and followed his Dad's truck down the drive.

_Sam and Dean moved side by side up the imposing stone steps. As they reached the large, wooden, double doors, Sam reached out to pull one open. He sent a final glance towards Dean; at his nod he opened the door._

_Dean moved into the dim interior and for a moment, he was unable to make out much. He stood allowing his eyes to adjust; he sensed movement on his left. As he turned in that direction, he heard a squeal of noise, just before a blur of white suddenly hit him solidly. A pair of solid arms wrapped themselves around his waist._

_As Dean looked down at the honey colored head, that was pressed against his chest he felt a wave of joy run through him. Like a litany, his brain chanted, she wasn't mad, she hadn't forgotten, she had meant for them to come. Over and over again, the words ran through his mind._

_Dean suddenly felt himself released, he watched as Grace turned towards Sam. Hands on her hips, she had looked Sam up and down and said "Holy Shit, God Sam, how'd you get so tall." And with those words she launched herself at Sam. Dean watched as the grin on Sam's face threatened to split it in half._

_Grace had heard the door open, just moments before the ceremony was to begin. She had planned to rip into whichever guest had arrived late. As she turned, she saw the man step in from the sunlight. He was tall, and stood proudly; his green eyes and slightly cleft chin were instantly recognizable. Without thought, she had launched herself against him, sending hundreds of prayers towards the heavens that he had made it._

_As she held Dean, she had seen another figure, standing just behind him. As she turned to see him more fully, she gaped for a moment. Unable to believe that it was Sammy all grown up, she had stared a moment more. It was then that she saw his beautiful eyes, smiling at her even though his face was still. Grace had practically leaped into his arms, she stood holding him for all she was worth._

_Grace finally released Sam, all but his hand, this she hung onto, as she wrapped her other hand around Dean's arm. She felt as though now that they were here, if she didn't hold on with all her might, they might disappear and she would never see them again._

_As she stood simply staring at the changes that time had caused. Dean had filled out, his face had lost its boyish looks and his hair was shorter. Sam was taller and had a sadness to him that hurt Grace's heart, a high-pitched voice had called out. "What is the hold up, Grace, you were to walk down the aisle four minutes ago."_

_Grace simply ignored the snotty voice, and said to the boys. "You got my message?"_

_Sam nodded and grinned, "How could we not, you took an ad out in every obituary in every major paper, in the country."_

_Grace's smile became even broader. "Well I wanted to be sure." As a rounded, woman approached Grace from behind, both boys watched her roll her eyes in exasperation. She turned to confront the woman never letting go of boys. "Mrs. Thompson, as I have explained to you many times, this is my special day and I'll rot in hell, before I'll let you push me around. Now you can just march your ass back down that aisle and tell everyone to wait. Oh, and if you would be so kind as to tell Alex, that my brothers have just arrived and will be sitting shortly, I would appreciate it." Without waiting for a response, Grace focused once more on the boys._

_Dean glanced at Grace with one eyebrow raised, he watched as she laughed and said, "I took that letter to heart that day Dean. Much to the disappointment of some people, I don't take crap from anyone." Her face turned serious for a moment, "I'm afraid that if I let you go, you'll leave, and I'll never see you again."_

_Dean gently disengage her arm and said, "Go get married, Kiddo. We're not going anywhere for a while." At Sam's nod, Grace finally released the boys and turned to address an older man that stood just behind her._

_"Bill, these are the boys I was telling you about. Sam and Dean, this is my father-in-law to be." Sam and Dean shook the older man's hands; and were surprised when he then leaned in, and hugged them both. At the looks of surprise on both men's face he simply said, "We know you saved her life and we can't begin to thank you enough."_

_Grace again took their arms, and led them towards the doors that were still shut. "Just go down the aisle and get a seat. I'll see you after the ceremony." With those words, she opened the door, and practically shoved the men into the church._

_Dean and Sam felt every eye in the place turn towards them. As they moved toward a pew in the back of the room, a voice suddenly rang out. "Oh, no you don't she'll skin me alive if you two sit back there." The Winchesters watched as a young, athletic looking, man moved down the aisle towards them. As he grew closer, he held out his hand and said, "I'm Alex Reid, Grace's fiancé. I can't tell you how glad I am to meet you both."_

_As the boys took turns shaking his hand and introducing themselves they both began to relax. Although, they couldn't honestly say they had attended many weddings at least they were welcome. They moved up the aisle following Alex, he finally stopped at the first pew on the right hand side. It was where the bride's family would be, however in this case there was simply one empty pew. Alex nodded at both boys indicating they should sit. He smiled once more and resumed his place in front of the Pastor._

_Grace took a deep breath as she stood at the back of the church, ready to walk to Alex. Her heart swelled with pride as she looked at the two men that sat at the front of the church. As she walked a steady pace towards the front, she detoured slightly upon reaching the Winchesters. _

_She let go of Bill's arm and moved towards the boys. She quickly bestowed a kiss on both their cheeks and sent them a grin as she moved to stand next to Alex. Leaning up she gave him a hardy kiss, ignoring the sound of Mrs. Thompson, the wedding planner's outraged gasp._

_Dean and Sam shared a grin and turned their attention towards the couple. Finally though Sam couldn't ignore his curiosity "Dean, what did Grace mean your letter?"_

_Dean grinned, and said,"Twelve minutes Sam very impressive, I'm surprised you managed to wait that long." Dean chuckled at Sam's annoyed look and answered quietly. "I left a letter for her the day we took off." Dean said, with a shrug, ignoring Sam's look of shock._

_As Dean thought back to that day, he remembered the care he had taken writing the letter. He had actually found it easier than he thought to put his words down on paper. Maybe because he knew in his heart he would not see Grace again._

_He had kept in touch with Pastor Jim though, in the months and then years that had followed. Once Jim had managed to find her, a place to settle in he had let Dean know where she was located. Dean hadn't told Sam simply because he knew that Sam would insist on visiting her. At that point, sources had told John that Towhill was still desperately searching for her. Dean wasn't willing to put her in danger, no matter how much he wanted to see her again._

_He had seen her though, finally, if only from a distance. It had been shortly after Sam had left for college; Dean had felt alone and lost without Sam to care for. In a moment of weakness, he had headed back to Lake Park. He wasn't sure what he intended to find, but upon arriving in the town he had learned that Grace's mom had been killed under some mysterious circumstances. _

_Dean had done some digging and quickly found out that Towhill had been responsible. Apparently, in the years since Grace had left, he had taken a kind of revenge on his wife. Dean had compiled his information carefully and had sent it to a state police friend of his dad's. The man had quickly called for the arrest of Towhill and just like that his hold over the town was broken and Grace was safe for good. Dean had heard from Pastor Jim a while later that Towhill had been killed by another inmate. Good riddance had been Deans only thought._

_Anyway, after he had learned that Towhill was under arrest he had gone to the town where Grace had been living. He had seen her through her apartment window, he still remembered she had been whistling something and was watering a bevy of plants that sat in the window. Dean had found himself staring at her for a while, when she had suddenly looked towards where he stood._

_She had stood so still for a moment and then she had simply raised one hand. Dean had returned the gesture turned and left. He still remembered how hard it had been to walk away from her once again._

_Dean's attention was drawn from the past back to the present. As the pastor announced them husband and wife, the crowd around the Winchesters yelled in approval; as Grace once again laid a kiss on her new husband that was hot enough to set fire to the room. Dean grinned and watched as the happy couple ran down the aisle._

_As Dean and Sam prepared to leave the pew, Alex's father, Bill, suddenly approached them; the elder gentleman was quickly loosening his tie and opening the top button of his shirt. "Now boys, I don't know about you but I could use a beer. How about you give me and the misses a ride in that beauty out there and we'll go tie one on together."_

_At this Sam and Dean exchanged a nod and Dean said, "that works for us."_

_The End._


End file.
